Picture taken from www.dogbreedinfo.com
From the desk of Sharda Baker.
Hi and Welcome Everyone!
This is Sharda with Boston Terrier newsletter!
Today, we will discuss about introducing Boston Terrier to cat and other pets in your home!
Usually, dog lovers are animal lovers. So, if you are an animal lover, you will have to introduce your pup to your other dogs, cats, birds, and various other animals.
Not all animals can share the same space with others. If you consider the characteristics of the pup and the pets you have, you can spare all your pets injuries, expenses, and other often highly unpleasant consequences of putting incompatible animals together.
When you bring in your pup into a household full of other pets , there are many individual personalities you have to deal with.
But you can make life smooth and pleasant for all your pets if you follow these basic guidelines:
BOSTON TERRIER PUPPY MEETS THE CAT:
- Teach your pup some basic commands, even though you might not have the opportunity to train him before bringing him home. Otherwise, begin obedience training with your new dog on his first day. Teach him to respond to “Sit,” “Down,” “Stay,” “Come,” “Leave It” and “Say Hello.”
- If you change your cat’s living arrangements a few days before the puppy arrives, it helps the cat a lot. Your cat’s food and litter should be out of the way. Keep him in safe places such as counter tops, shelves, etc. If you have a kitty door to a room in the house where the cats can go and not be bothered by the dogs that would be great. This door acts as a safe refuge without your worrying about baby gates.
- Give your cat free access to the house as before. Once your dog has explored the house, limit him to his part of the house. Now, let the cat smell all the places that the pup has been to in the house, under the door, etc. Then, pet the dog and let him lick your hand, then let the cat smell your hand.
- Don’t organize a meeting of the two, because at times, it takes hours or days before the dog even sees the cat. But all meetings should be supervised at all times because your cat could bang the dog on his head or nose or even claw him. Take his mind off this by playing with him. Your cat’s banging him on the head is not a bad thing—he’s just trying to establish who’s the boss. Don’t pay any attention to the cat’s behaviour, but give the pup all yours.
By teaching your pup basic commands, it is easier to control a face-off between your two pets.
INTRODUCING YOUR BOSTON TERRIER PUPPY TO AN ADULT DOG:
In order that the pup’s stay is risk and stress-free, here’s what you can do:
- Separate them at feed time, while giving out treats and toys.
- Do crate training with him, but don’t give him the run of your house until he’s absolutely ready for it.
- Don’t leave them alone together until he is about four months old and they seem to be getting along fine.
- Spend individual time with each dog away from the other and out of the house, every day. Reduce this after a while but keep it up. Bonding with human beings is important to all dog pets.
- Reward both dogs together as this builds up team spirit. Occasionally, you will of course reward the one who is right and good, and not the other. But if the other one is nearby, reward him too.
- If both dogs are with you, pay attention to both of them. Talk to them equally.
If you take the pup to training class and teach him good manners, you’ll be able to control him better and your elder one will adapt to him faster and better.
That’s it for today.
I hope that you learned something from today’s Boston Terrier newsletter.
All the best and take care
Warmly,
Sharda Baker